Executive Search

Executive Search is a tailored recruitment method for executives/leaders.

Executive search, also known as headhunting, is a recruitment method used to identify and attract C-level executives and other key positions within a company’s top management.

At SAM International Sweden, every process is tailored to the client’s unique needs and challenges.

More than recruitment – we add strategic expertise

What sets SAM International Sweden apart from traditional recruitment firms is that we don’t just work with search – we also provide strategic business insight through our consultants.

Our team consists of experienced business consultants, former CEOs, and leaders with deep understanding of business-driven recruitment needs. We combine our expertise in executive search with broad industry knowledge and strategic business thinking to ensure you get a leader who not only matches your requirements but also strengthens your long-term competitiveness.

Executive Search with a business perspective

Our methodology goes beyond traditional recruitment – we actively work to identify and attract the most suitable candidates through:

✔ An extensive network of top executives and specialists
✔ Industry experience and insights from our business consultants
✔ In-depth candidate assessment to ensure the right strategic match
✔ A tailored process based on your company’s goals and culture

We help you build the leadership of the future

The right leader can be crucial to a company’s success. Through our executive search process, we help you find and attract the leaders who can best meet your needs, drive growth, and strengthen your market position.

Let SAM International be your partner in executive search! Together we create success – locally, regionally, nationally, and even internationally.

Our Executive Search Process

Needs Analysis

We immerse ourselves in the company’s needs and jointly define the key criteria expected of the future leader. This phase also includes understanding the organization’s culture and strategy in order to identify a key person for future success.

Candidate Identification

We use our extensive network, industry databases, and direct contacts to identify potential candidates. Executive search is not limited to active job seekers, but also targets those who are not actively looking for a new position.

Selection and Evaluation

We carry out thorough preparatory work and selection, as well as an evaluation based on the jointly defined candidate profile. We ensure that the employer brand and the company’s attractiveness are clear to the most suitable candidates ahead of further discussions.

Interview

The most qualified candidates are interviewed. This phase includes both in-depth interviews and, if needed, psychological assessments. We evaluate not only the candidates’ professional skills but also their personality and motivation.

Presentation and Decision-Making

Only the top candidates who meet the predefined criteria are presented to the company. We support the client during the decision-making and negotiation process to ensure that the selected candidate is committed for the long term.

References and Background Checks

A reference call can be a formality or a brief conversation with a reference selected by the candidate – or, as we see it, a crucial puzzle piece in the larger picture we are assembling on behalf of our client. Every piece matters, and without them all in place, the puzzle remains incomplete. That’s why a structured reference call with the right people is essential – it’s the opportunity to get to the heart of things, to ask the tough questions, and ensure the referee fully understands the seriousness of the conversation and their responsibility in it.

Onboarding and Follow-Up

We help the new leader integrate into the organization and ensure the initial phase runs as smoothly as possible. We follow up on the leader’s development and provide support when needed.

Personality Assessments – Part of the Executive Search Process

As part of the executive search process, we conduct personal assessments of final candidates when needed. We recommend suitability assessments to minimize recruitment risks and strengthen leadership.

For executives, middle managers, and specialists, we use assessment methods from our partner AON. Aon’s various evaluation tools help organizations and employees make better decisions by providing comprehensive assessments of both hard and soft skills. Aon’s talent assessments are reliable, effective, and based on research-backed psychometric evaluations.

Our internal assessment partner within SAM also carries out more in-depth leadership assessments. These include a range of methods, from capacity and personality tests to in-depth interviews and business cases, all of which can be tailored to the company’s needs and the specific role.

These psychometric assessments are based on the Big 5 theory (Five-Factor Model) and are well-proven and widely used by international organizations. The varied methods provide valuable additional information about the candidate to support recruitment decisions.

“The Five-Factor Model (Big 5) is the most research-based and reliable model for understanding personality. It provides deep insights into how people think, act, and interact – an invaluable key to successful recruitment and leadership development.”

Many modern and traditional psychological studies point to five fundamental dimensions of personality.

Openness
Conscientiousness
Extraversion
Agreeableness
Neuroticism

The Big 5 defines five stable traits in human personality. These five traits are present across all cultures and contexts and remain consistent over time. All other personality traits or characteristics are categorized under one of the five major personality traits – hence the name Big 5 or the Five-Factor Model.

In the personal assessment process, the client, the executive search consultant, and the candidate all gain deeper insights into the candidate’s profile. Feedback sessions are conducted professionally and empathetically, highlighting strengths and respecting individual differences – always with a focus on the requirements of the role.

Personal assessments can also be carried out for individual employees within internal career paths or talent programs, as well as for entire groups to map out the group’s overall profile, performance, and strengths.